Are vitamin supplements dangerous?
A medical study entitled “Dietary Supplements and Mortality Rate in Older Women,” was recently published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. This has caused some concern among the public about the safety of vitamin supplements. This study seemingly brought into question the very use of supplements in enhancing health, and even questioned whether supplements increased the risk of death. The New York Times followed with an article with the sensationalized title, “More Evidence Against Vitamin Use.” What was omitted in the spectacular headlines was the author of the study’s own conclusion: “It is not advisable to make a causal statement of excess risk based on these observational data…” In other words, you cannot claim that supplements lead to more deaths, simply because it was observed that the group of women taking supplements seemed to have a higher mortality rate.
I have thoroughly reviewed this study and have found numerous flaws the study’s design and its findings. Please contact me if you would like detailed information about this.
We need medical studies, but we also need to be mindful of what types of conclusions can be drawn from them.
My patients know that I recommend different types of supplements, sometimes for brief periods and targeted uses, but all based on appropriate lab work. First and foremost, I recommend a balanced diet, rich in nutrients, and the kind we can only get from eating whole foods. Supplements are just that—supplements! They are never substitutes for a poor diet, no more than Lipitor should be a reason not to stop eating greasy French fries everyday.